The White House Correspondents’ dinner happened last night. I try to ignore the whole thing because it makes me want to vomit, and I don’t want to do that on a pretty Spring day. But I know that you commenters are built of sterner stuff, so here’s a thread for you.
Update: Everyone says Obama was funny, so here’s the video.
Elizabelle
mistermix: can’t do much about the audience, but President Obama was seriously funny and arch.
Skip the fapping of “journalists” and watch PBO’s remarks, including his plea at the end to avoid cynicism. (Something our finest MSM drives, in spades.)
At one point he mentioned the press is on him to “have a drink with Mitch McConnell.”
“YOU have a drink with Mitch McConnell”, he shot back.
PBO made it pretty clear how much ridiculousness passes by without correction by MSM (if not actively abetted).
nerdprom is about right, but your average, non-press nerd started out more curious and may not have aspired to be “kewl.”
Brother Machine Gun of Desirable Mindfulness (fka AWS)
I didn’t actually watch it, but I follow a lot of “journalists” on Twitter. It was embarrassing. Ultimately, I have concluded that *nothing* will shame these people. Even ruthless mocking, they’ll just laugh and shrug it off.
Brother Machine Gun of Desirable Mindfulness (fka AWS)
@Elizabelle: nerdprom isn’t even right. They aren’t even nerds. They’re just assholes with a platform.
Baud
@Elizabelle:
Agree. Watch PBO. Skip the rest.
Elizabelle
@Brother Machine Gun of Desirable Mindfulness (fka AWS):
Yeah, I think they’ve grabbed onto “nerd” and “geek”, where these are the homecoming court looking for another fake crown.
Ben Franklin
Didn’t watch the group-grope and thug-fest. Don’t watch American Idol for many of the same reasons.
Ben Franklin
“These have been some very hard days for too many of our citizens,” mentioning the residents of Boston, West, Texas, and the Midwest, who are dealing with floods.
“We have seen humanity shine at its brightest.”
“We also saw journalists at their best,” he added.
Huh? Paging John King.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/296585-obama-i-still-make-rookie-mistakes-#ixzz2Rlrfieev
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Hill Dweller
Journalism, political especially, has all sorts of problems in this country. While the WHCD is certainly a high profile example, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter all that much.
Hearing people like Brokaw, who has become a bitter old Republican apologist in recent years, complain about the WHCD without a hint of irony is far more annoying to me.
Redshirt
Wouldn’t be prudent.
Patrick
@Elizabelle:
Yup. The birth certificate circus was exhibit A. It is beyond me how the media could keep reporting on the issue as if any non-racist in this country would care one bit.
And I will never forget the ABC debate in 2008 hosted by Charlie Gibson/Geroge Stephwhatever where they spent the first 45 minutes with questions ONLY about Ayers and Obama’s former pastor. Not a single word about the economy, healthcare, the Iraq war – issues that Americans outside the beltway actually cared about.
We have journalists in the name only.
gnomedad
Saw POTUS’s jokes, hadn’t seen this. I love the subtle “fuck you” to the birthers, the angry-black-man-ers, etc.
Spielberg’s “Obama”
Mustang Bobby
Yeah, I posted the Obama part and skipped the rest. He was clearly the Mel Brooks in a room full of Adam Sandlers.
c u n d gulag
I didn’t go to MY prom, so why should I give a flying feck about theirs?
Elizabelle
@Ben Franklin:
Oh, PBO took on John King.
Some joke along lines of the WHCD served halibut and steak.
Or, as John King reported, lasagna and couscous.
Amir Khalid
The White House Correspondents Dinner hardly seems worth all that resentment. Yeah, it’s just a gathering of self-satisfied journalistic mediocrities to congratulate themselves on their awesomeness. Both the mediocrity and the public self-congratulation deserve plenty of disdain.
But we do get to watch President Obama grow in skill and confidence as a stand-up comedian. He’s getting really good, isn’t he? I mean, if a late-night TV hosting gig opens up around early 2017, I know whom I’d pick.
geg6
No fucking way will I pay attention to the Villagers patting themselves on the back and thinking they’re so goddam hilarious. They’re nothing but a bunch of petty, junior high-level Neros, fiddling as the country falls down around them. Fuck them. The only one of these obscene spectacles worth watching was when Colbert told them what pieces if shit they truly were and they’ve never forgiven him for it.
Meanwhile, I’m dealing with a dog who bit through his tongue last night and who can’t quit licking and breaking open the wound. He’s covered in blood and has bloodied all our floors. I know he’s fine and it will eventually clot enough to stop, if he’d just stop licking his feet. What a fucking night and day. And all this happened after John and a friend cut down a rotting pine in the front yard, taking down a mile’s worth of phone, electric and cable lines along with stopping traffic for a good half hour. So glad I was shopping when all that went down. Shitty shitty weekend.
SiubhanDuinne
@Ben Franklin:
Well, he had thoroughly demolished CNN a few minutes earlier. His specific shout-out with “journalists at their best” was to the Boston Globe.
POTUS was wonderful. I didn’t, and won’t, bother with any of the rest.
maya
It’s at times like this that I’m glad I don’t have TV anymore. But I am curious…. did Tom Brokaw put on a lampshade?
Scott S.
@Brother Machine Gun of Desirable Mindfulness (fka AWS): The only way to fix American journalism is to line them all up for the headsman’s axe.
Ben Franklin
@SiubhanDuinne:
I didn’t, and won’t, bother with any of the rest.
I admire your ability to filter and sector your perceptions.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I don’t expect it to make a dent in Village un-self-awareness, but I liked what I’ve seen of PBO’s remarks, especially the McConnell line.
Attaturk has a couple of good links, including a photo Our Supreme Troll, who isn’t too Serious and Intellectual and Originalist and All That Shit to attend, and a hilarious should-but-won’t-be embarrassing find of Politico’s pre-fab conversational aids for Mike Allen.
Baud
@Amir Khalid:
I think the hatred developed during the Bush years after it became clear that the press was Bush’s lapdog. They haven’t done much the build back their reputation since. Obama, however, is funny to watch and worth the price of admission.
Schlemizel
I used to think Conan was funny. 60 seconds last night proved he isn’t.
This is a lot like that joke they hold in NYC every year; not worth the effort it take to turn the channel to watch it.
Anya
@Ben Franklin: He was talking about Boston Globe and Pete Williams. You gotta admit they did straight news and not any of the speculation shit show CNN was.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
The contrast between their reaction to Bush’s “Where’s them WMD?” montage, which they found hilarious and self-deprecating, and Colbert’s extended beat-down, which they found uncouth, are as good as any illustration of their moral and intellectual bankruptcy.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
Not only is he turning into a very good comedian, but Obama can play pretty mean drums too.
Meg
@Elizabelle: Thought the President did rip into CNN, that John King joke is actually Coco’s.
Obama said something like CNN reports all sides of the stories in case one of them is the right one.
Gindy51
@geg6: Get a cone of shame (you know the ones the vet gives you when you spay or neuter your dog) and put it around his neck. He won’t be able to reach those paws.
Violet
They’re showing Obama’s joke about getting bangs on the morning news shows. Made me laugh.
@Brother Machine Gun of Desirable Mindfulness (fka AWS):
This is absolutely right. They MSM has grabbed onto “Nerd Prom” and seems think it makes them sound cool. On NBC this morning, Lester Holt and his current “TV wife” (as she called herself) called it nerdprom. They seem to hope it makes them sound like they’re besties with Mark Zuckerberg or something. Nerd’s oughta be offended these idiots are trying to act like they’re one of them.
Call it what it is: Asshat prom.
Redshirt
The only good Prom is the crashed Prom.
ruemara
I walked a mile to work and filmed a bunch of little kids for about an hour atop a 2 foot high gymnastics square, balancing with a monopod and focusing with my finger tips. So I was asleep by 9ish last night. I missed the whole thing. However, I wonder who we have in the Democratic Party to continue our dominance of suave charm in the White House? Also, relaxed with an afternoon viewing of “Oblivion”. Good film, decent story, strong production values, good performances.
Elizabelle
@Meg:
My bad, and thank you. “Couscous” was a Coco joke.
@Amir Khalid: Obama’s got excellent comic timing, and remarks were well written. I felt for Conan, watching and thinking “I have to follow THAT?”
@geg6: Which dog and how did s/he bite through tongue? What upset the pup? Wishing you well.
Xantar
I thought the House of Cards parody was pretty good too. It showed all the journalists fighting with Kevin Spacey for tickets to the best seats in the house. And the journalists themselves were playing along in the video. They even made a joke about Mike Allen’s address. It’s like they were all priming the pump for the arrival of This Town.
dance around in your bones
@Amir Khalid:
I agree with this comment. He has great comedic timing and confidence, with just enough poking at the hornet’s nest to make it satisfying. And he can poke fun at himself. Plus, you get that incredible smile when he gets off a good one.
I also like the reaction shots from some of the targeted. The jounamalist crowd were packed in like a herd of cows in a feedlot- I kept waiting for some to go “Moo!” They laughed a lot more with Obama than with Conan, who wasn’t all that funny.
scav
Guard seems to like the Day-Lewis part.
Beyond some of the expected ones, I rather liked some of the ones the crowd couldn’t quite mange to laugh at. It was late so I may be misremembering, but the Bachmann book-burning and my subtle favorite, the “I think I’m doing a better job than you.” one.
Anya
My favotite Conan O’Brien joke is the one he campared President Obama’s relationship with Boehner to a date between Rachel Maddow and Anderson Cooper: “In theory they understand each other’s positions. But deep down you know nothing’s ever going to happen.”
The president had many good lines but one of the least memorable is about queen of mean MoDo: “Maureen Dowd said I could solve all my problems if I were just more like Michael Douglas in ‘The American President.’ And I know Michael is here tonight. Michael, what’s your secret, man? Could it be that you were an actor in an Aaron Sorkin liberal fantasy?” “Might that have something to do with it?”
Citizen_X
Sarah Loud and Stupid did not like the WHCD:
Probably just jealous that she’s not the headliner.
Anya
@Citizen_X: Oh, she’s mad because her invitation was lost in the mail.
Villago Delenda Est
@Scott S.:
I agree. See my nym.
It’s the only way now. Make sure you get their kids, too. They’re an inbred group of scum.
ricky
Podcasts by prominent meme changing bloggers who share your political views often remedy the nausea induced by those who are misperceived to have succeeded in their profession by folks who simply don’t know any better.
I prefer podcast comments by vegans who eat local.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Beautiful. I wonder if MoDo will get it.
@Citizen_X: “I totes like wouldn’t have gone even if they had invited me.”
Looks like her Facebook is still written by aide, and she does her own tweets
“working our asses off”? Does she really not remember she quit one part time job and got fired from another?
beltane
@Citizen_X: She’s just bitter that she wasn’t the prom queen at this year’s prom.
Roger Moore
@Villago Delenda Est:
As long as the kids haven’t started working in the Village yet, they can probably be saved by reeducation camp.
sonofsamantha
You try to avoid something relevant to this site but have no problem posting some crappy music video from some obscure group once a week to show everyone what poor taste in music you have.
Old Dan and Little Ann
My favorite was when PBO said he’d be getting together more with Senators. A Texas barbecue with Ted Cruz, a Kentucky bluegrass festival with Rand Paul, and book burning with Michelle Bachmann. Zing!
Keith G
@Citizen_X: I donno. Doesn’t that sound like something a Democrat would be likely to have said prior to 2009?
Comrade Jake
@Old Dan and Little Ann: yes, that was awesome. Strangely, the audience booed the book burning with Bachmann line.
Bruce S
Speaking of our sucky media, Thomas Friedman has a column in the New York Times today regarding the Boston bombing that notes:
That’s an absolutely valid and essential point about killing and terrorizing innocents out of political rage, but it would be better made by someone other than the asshole who, in response to 9/11, suggested to Charlie Rose that we should invade a country that he knew had nothing to do with it, just so our soldiers could go there, knock down some doors with guns, stick them in the faces of the natives, and yell “Suck on this!”
Friedman is little better than the Tsarnaevs – he’s just too much a chickenshit member of the elite to do the dirty work he wanted done himself. But, frankly, as regards the Iraq invasion, he supported terror for the sake of terror – collectively and indiscriminately letting the Islamic bastards know “they” couldn’t do this to “us.”
(Fucking comments are closed or I would have made that point in direct response to his column – so he could suck on it…)
? Martin
Come on guys: “I’m not the strapping young Muslim Socialist that I used to be,”
It’s like he’s speaking right to us.
Davis X. Machina
The nerve. He’s the most cynical man in Washington. Where’s my public option?
Comrade Jake
By the way, all you need to know about the WH correspondents association is that the President is Ed fucking Henry.
Citizen_X
@Keith G: Oh, I agree that these things shouldn’t be happening in the first place. Is she making that point? Who knows?
@sonofsamantha: Speaking of bitter and jealous…
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Under the bus? In a veal pen?
Thor Heyerdahl
I think Conan wanted to be funny and would have gone full Colbert but he knew it couldn’t be done again.
I think Conan may have had the same problem Lewis Black did with the Congressional Correspondent’s dinner – you have to tell the press corps that their shit doesn’t stink and your jokes have to be toned down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGdws0b-yqY
Davis X. Machina
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: There’s a Progressive Green Eggs and Ham to be written, if ever I can find the time.
gbear
@sonofsamantha:
You try to avoid adding anything relevant to this site but have no problem posting crappy little bitchy insults to every post to show everyone what a pointless asshole you are.
(I’m sorry. I will stop feeding the troll but that was one of the most thoroughly clueless comments it’s made in a while)
Todd
@? Martin:
If only he’d thrown in T-bone steak.
patrick II
@Citizen_X:
I wasn’t aware that a black man from Chicago who has been president for less than five years is part of the “permanent” political class. Was his father and grandfather a president or senator or something? Did he inherit a lot of money or political power?
Hill Dweller
@Comrade Jake:
I don’t know what Special Ed did last night, aside from droning on for too long, but the twitter machine went from simply mocking him at the start to praying for bodily hard during the course of his stupid remarks.
? Martin
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Miss the veal pen. That never made a damn bit of sense to anyone but Jane.
? Martin
@Todd: I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the author of that joke reads us or Tbogg.
raven
I Can’t Go for that No Can Do. Daryl Hall and Cee Lo. Rock on.
Davis X. Machina
@patrick II: Power corrupts. The power of the presidency is almost limitless, so it’s almost infinitely corrupting. And the only way to avoid the corruption is to refuse the power.
Obama’s a smart guy, and he knows this.
What he should have done is right after being sworn in — that part’s important, first African-American, and all that — he should have resigned. And gone back to community organizing. That way he’d have kept his soul — let Biden serve. He’s a politician, and has no soul.
Think of the message that would have sent. An example even more powerful than sending hundreds of doomed single-payer bills up to Congress to die.
Ben Franklin
@Bruce S:
That’s an absolutely valid and essential point about killing and terrorizing innocents out of political rage
Friedman aside, there are other factors in the anger which may make politics irrelevant.
When you feel impotent and powerless, the target of your anger is less important than the emotion itself. Rage is a form of insanity. Rational thought is sectored into the belief system which drives it. The rage becomes an entity, in itself, wherein the subject is seen as postscript; almost out-of-body experience in which the pissed-off individual defers to the phantom of himself. Tamerlian (sp?) was also a boxer, who may have chosen that exercise to attempt to assuage the anger as a coping mechanism. Then too, he may have had multiple concussive blows to exacerbate the condition. Unless we can crawl inside his mind, it won’t be easy to understand what led him to have such purposeless, venal and poorly-conceived urge to murder strangers.
Ben Franklin
@? Martin:
I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the author of that joke reads us or Tbogg.
Boating magazine is funnier.
Chris
@geg6:
Was that when Colbert mocked Bush with his “he stands for things. Not only that, he stands on things. Things like rubble and aircraft carriers…” spiel?
Ben Franklin
Then there’s this…http://www.madcowprod.com/2013/04/26/boston-bombers-uncle-married-daughter-of-top-cia-official/
ruemara
@Davis X. Machina: I wish more people didn’t truly feel this way.
Comrade Jake
@Hill Dweller: you know awful Henry was last night? CNN cut away from his remarks.
piratedan
Damn… that Obama guy is good. Wish we could have given him a Congressional majority and a less naive Senate Majority leader. I can only imagine where this country might be.
bcinaz
Funnier than Conan, better delivery.
“Senator Cruz, that’s Groucho Marx, not Karl. He’s the other guy”
Davis X. Machina
@ruemara: The message I took away from watching the film Lincoln is that nothing will get done in this country so long as our politicians are all, you know, politicians.
ruemara
@Davis X. Machina: oi very. Let’s just send random guys who know nothing. Oh wait, I believe we already have that, it’s called the Tea Party Congress.
Bruce S
@Ben Franklin:
“Unless we can crawl inside his mind, it won’t be easy to understand what led him to have such purposeless, venal and poorly-conceived urge to murder strangers.”
Yeah – and ditto for Tom Friedman…
nellcote
I appreciated that Conan took a shot at Bob Woodward.
JD Rhoades
@Citizen_X:
This is the standard wingnut Mad Lib: “While America is (insert name of crisis), (insert person or organization you don’t like) decides to (insert perfectly normal activity that you wouldn’t object to for a second if a Republican did it)”.
Ted & Hellen
It’s so encouraging and funny and heartwarming and awesome to see our Progressive, Liberal President who brought Hope and Change to D.C., play all the old games and fall in line with the Beltway Nerdistocracy.
So cool! He is so great! I am so proud he is my president!
Maude
@ruemara:
Obama is the best president I have ever seen.
Yahoo News has an article about US intervention in Syria. Obama said he’d look at the information about chemical weapons. It isn’t proven to be true yet. There are indications.
This type of hype is awful.
Heard a audio clip of Obama. He said the Republicans were reaching out to minorities and he knew of one minority he’d like them to reach out to.
If Oblivion is on DVD, I’ll get it.
dance around in your bones
When T&H gets lemons, he just sucks on them. Then he shows his pursed and bitter mouth to the Balloon Juice denizens.
So cool! So great! I’m so glad it is our resident troll!
ally
@Patrick:
Yes, that was unbelievable. Didn’t Gibson/Steph. also dog Obama for not wearing a flag pin –or did I hallucinate that part?
Ted & Hellen
Ah man…Obama is the best! Wow. Tremendous.
No sell out to the beltway crowd there, oh no. He showed them, yes he did, by showing up to their prom and laughing and scratching and winking and nodding with all the oligarchs.
He made vicious jabs at them, he did, and he winded and laughed and chuckled to let them know it was all in good fun and nothing serious was meant by it. Oh yes. Fuck yeah!
Hope and change!
The Sailor
@Ted & Hellen: Are you a firebagger or a teabagger? They sound alike to me.
Monala
Anybody else hate Michelle Obama’s bangs? I think she has a beautiful face. Why is she covering it up?
jshooper
Not that anyone cares, but here are my thoughts on the event.
1) It looks like Barack and Michelle were the only black people there.
Or minorities of any kind for that matter.Disturbing lack of diversity.
2) Fake liberal Arianna Huffington was sitting next to Chris Christie and Newt Gingrich. Please tell me again why ANYONE ever let this life long republican pose as a progressive. I bet she’s already planning on supporting him in 2016.
3)Pres. Obama’s delivery is a little stiff at times but he told some really edgy and hilarious jokes. You could tell he was enjoying himself even if the audience was too afraid to laugh.
I loved the way he went after the nutjob conspiracy Republicans.
I nearly fell out of my chair when he mentioned the Bachmann book burning.
4)Ed Henry is a douche
5)Conan isn’t funny
6)I wish Pres.Obama would mock the media more often.Jon Stewart and Colbert are popular for a reason.I know the MSM likes to portray their audience (colbert & stewart) as pothead college students…But my mom is a 60 yr old teacher and all her friends watch Colbert & the Daily Show religiously.
jshooper
@The Sailor:
There is no difference between firebaggers and teabaggers when it comes to President Obama.
Patrick
@ally:
Yup, at least George Steph did. I assume part of Steph’s mind-blowing criticism of Obama had to with the fact that he worked for the Clinton’s before and perhaps was biased. And I guess I’m glad Steph chose issues that just about nobody cared about when we criticized Obama.
Ash Can
The Taylor Swift crack made me LOL. The Republicans need to have the sequester tied to their asses and set on fire. And I’m not sure if Christie was shaking his head in disgust with the congressional Republicans or in disagreement with the joke.
Ted & Hellen
@Thor Heyerdahl:
Says who, obsequious one?
You would fit right in in the Beltway.
Certain things just are aren’t done in polite company…and you’d like it that way.
Patricia Kayden
@dance around in your bones: Skip his comments.
Seth Meyers’ jokes about Donald Trump were hilarious back at the 2011 WH Correspondents Dinner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Km4R377s4M
Made a mockery not just of the Donald, but also of the Republican Party for even considering him as a viable Presidential candidate.
As for last night’s dinner, President Obama has a pretty good funny bone. I’m sure he and Michelle need to laugh to keep their sanity.
gogol's wife
@? Martin:
That was what hit me — I thought somebody had been reading BJ.
dance around in your bones
@Patricia Kayden:
From now on, it eats the pie. Just too sour and boring.
I remember the Seth Myers thing – I love how Trump sat completely stone-faced through the whole thing.
Bruce S
@Monala:
As a male member of the species I’ve learned it’s never smart to discuss a woman’s hair style.
AxelFoley
@Ted & Hellen:
Fuck the fuck off, troll.
Ted & Hellen
@AxelFoley:
So revealing. You are udderly weak, your Bot Breasts having run udderly dry of the milk of Barack’s udder goodness.
A Humble Lurker
@Ted & Hellen:
I suppose Axel believes a one-note performance deserves one in return.